Natasha Zinko’s new Pre-Fall collection is a bright and breezy tribute to her Ukrainian homeland. “It’s about the countryside and returning to your roots,” said the London-based designer, who regularly escapes to the countryside that surrounds her Odessa hometown. All this Arcadian dreaming brings a new naïveté to the clothes: Simple hedgerow roses in soft blush are embroidered haphazardly onto hems and sleeves. Everything has a love-worn feel, from the raw-edged tweed suiting to the offbeat tone of the lace that adorns a pretty prairie dress. “It’s the idea that whatever you have to hand, you use, babushka style,” explained Zinko of the peasant-y piece, which comes in miniature for those with a taste for matching mommy-and-me looks.

Not that Zinko ever lets things veer into saccharine territory: She counterbalances the pastoral prettiness with mannish checked shirts that are modeled on the traditional Russian rubaha but have a distinctly Seattle circa 1990s flavor. “Here is my countryside, here is my home,” reads the Russian-English transcribed text taken from a wistful Soviet folk song that’s printed onto some of the shirting in bold block letters. Even checked peasant dresses are toughened up with the addition of leather bustiers. The checks aren’t the only grungy top note that Zinko strikes: There’s a sherbet hand-knitted cardigan with giant buttons, which could perhaps be worn with a chartreuse silk slip dress and matching fluffy mules, that’s already a big hit with buyers. Okay, so it’s not exactly rural-ready attire, but it proves once again that Zinko can bring the kind of feel-good fashion we all need in our lives right now.